Wave Picking & Governance
Build smarter waves, guide pickers step‑by‑step, and enforce guardrails—so throughput climbs and errors drop, even on chaotic days.
TL;DR
What it does
Groups orders into optimal waves by SLA, carrier, zone, and pick path; guides pickers; enforces scans and policies; and adapts to cutoffs and spikes.
Why it matters
Paper waves and ad‑hoc batching create long walks, mispicks, and missed pickups. Governance reduces variance across shifts.
Who it’s for
Warehouses with multi‑node operations or high daily order volume that want predictable output and fewer errors.
Why manual waves fail
Long pick paths
Orders aren’t grouped by location or path; pickers walk miles and finish late.
Mispicks & rework
Missing scan steps and unclear handoffs create relabels and returns.
Missed cutoffs
Waves don’t adjust to carrier pickup changes or SLA priorities during spikes.
How it works
Build smart waves
Cluster by SLA, carrier, zone, SKU affinity, and bin location. Size waves to cutoffs and capacity. Avoid split‑shipment traps.
Guide pickers
Directed pick path to totes/carts; enforce scan‑to‑verify; handle short‑picks and substitutes with policy prompts.
Govern the flow
Role‑based permissions, SLA gates (e.g., require signature over $X), QC scans at pack, reason codes for overrides.
Adapt in real time
If a carrier pickup moves or a spike lands, split/merge waves and reprioritize to protect SLAs automatically.
Inputs
- Order SLA, carrier & service
- Bin locations & pick paths
- Inventory & short‑pick rules
- Cutoffs, pickups, and capacity
Outputs
- Wave plan with priorities
- Directed pick instructions
- QC/scan checkpoints
- Audit log with reason codes
Real‑world examples
Morning surge
Context: Promo orders flood at 9 a.m. Action: Auto‑create SLA‑first waves with nearest‑bin pathing. Impact: On‑time pickup.
Priority bump
Context: High‑value orders require signature. Action: Move to front; enforce signature at pack. Impact: Lower chargebacks.
Cutoff shift
Context: Carrier pickup moves earlier. Action: Split waves and reprioritize lanes. Impact: SLA preserved.
QC catch
Context: Scan mismatch at pack. Action: Halt carton; prompt re‑pick. Impact: Fewer mis‑ships.
Short‑pick policy
Context: One SKU short in aisle. Action: Auto‑apply policy (hold/split/substitute) with reason code. Impact: No stalls.
Cross‑training
Context: New temp staff. Action: Directed steps minimize errors. Impact: Consistent output across shifts.
What you configure (light touch)
Policies
- Wave sizing and priorities
- Pick method (batch/zone/cluster)
- Required scans & QC checks
- Signature/insurance thresholds
Data & devices
- Bin locations & map updates
- Scanner/device setup
- User roles & permissions
- Carrier calendars & cutoffs
Results you can expect
- Higher lines picked per hour
- Fewer mispicks and rework
- More on‑time pickups
- Better compliance and training
FAQ
Do we need bin locations?
They’re strongly recommended to unlock directed paths. You can start simple and enrich over time.
Does it work with totes/carts?
Yes. Configure batch sizes and cart layouts; the flow will direct picks by tote/cart and enforce scans.
Can supervisors override waves?
Yes. Overrides are permissioned and fully audited with reason codes.
How does this interact with carriers?
Cutoffs and pickups inform wave sizing and priorities so lanes hit their pickups reliably.